Dawn of the Rebellion
by Above the Winter Moonlight
Summary: TFU AU. Sequel to Under the Shroud of Shadows. A spark of light remains in a galaxy shrouded in darkness. He was a Jedi assassin tasked with destroying the remnants of the Jedi Order but a chance encounter with the son of a surviving Jedi leads to him getting entangled in a conspiracy against the throne that may provide him with the chance to change his destiny...
1. Orders and Memories

**Notes: **This is the sequel to _Under the Shroud of Shadows_ and _Omen of the Future._ It would be a good idea to at least skim both of those stories or you might be confused. This is the first, full-fledged novel in the _An Era of Twilight_ series. Another thing, this is AU so many things are not as they are in the books. The time frame is fifteen years after _Under the Shroud of Shadows_. Also, for this story, Starkiller is older than Luke by two years. I hope that you like it, including all the changes I made, and reviews are much appreciated.

* * *

**An Era of Twilight:**

**Dawn of the Rebellion**

* * *

"Every revolution begins with a spark."

-_The Hunger Games: Catching Fire_ Movie Tagline

* * *

**Orders and Memories**

His orders were simple. _Find Jedi, inform Master, kill Jedi._

His Master simply wanted him to prove himself to her, prove that he was worthy of his training, prove that he was strong enough to stand at his Master's side when she finally confronted her Master and assumed the title of master. However, that was still a long time in coming and he knew he still had time to gain more experience, hence why he was sent on missions that involved him fighting Jedi. Already, he had killed two Jedi; Rahm Kota and Kazadus Paratus.

However, despite the accomplishment, his Master Darth Xea was not yet proud of him. She criticized him when he returned and she declared that she didn't want a weak apprentice at her side when she finally defeated her master, Emperor Palpatine. From what he knew about her, Xea has been trying for twelve years to prove that she was worthy of being his apprentice. However, he knew Palpatine constantly reminded her that she was only second best, unworthy, and nothing compared to his first choice. He had overheard Xea rant about that, she had the tendency to talk to herself when she thought no one was listening, three years earlier.

Nevertheless, her determination to prove that she was worthy and that her master was wrong about her being only second best was what drove her. The continued dismissal of her progress made her temperamental and brutal in her dealings with others including her apprentice. She was also a perfectionist and always pointed out every fault she could see. This included in his reports to her. She constantly insisted that those faults needed to be fixed if he was ever going to be strong enough to be at her side.

Hence, why he was traveling through space in search of another Jedi following only a single clue from his Master; she had said that there might be a Jedi on Felucia but she left finding the Jedi to him. She rarely ever did the work for him; Xea insisted that he had to learn how to accomplish tasks without being handed everything he needed on a silver platter.

He was kneeling down in the meditation chamber, lightsaber resting on the ground in front of him, as he attempted to reach into the Force beyond the hull of the _Rogue Shadow_ and find something that could hint where the Jedi might be on Felucia. This task was tedious but he knew it had to be done as his Master had said. However, he figured he wouldn't get any hints in the Force until he neared Felucia but it wouldn't hurt to—

His senses alerted him to the arrival of someone. His lightsaber was in his hand, ignited and already blocking the slash aimed at his side as his droid, PROXY, moved forward into the chamber. The droid was currently mimicking the image of one of the Jedi his Master told him was still alive; Obi-Wan Kenobi.

_Soresu,_ he thought remembering what he learned when he studied up on the fighting styles of many Jedi. He had learned much about each of the seven forms and he knew the weaknesses of most of those forms. What he had learned was that Soresu's greatest weakness was its lack of offensive capabilities. Shifting into Ataru, he launched an attack at the Kenobi replica. He has dueled this program before and knew of when and where to strike while also not letting the seemingly impenetrable defense get to him. The Force was also a good asset in the duel. After parrying away a few attacks, he managed to break through the Kenobi replica's defenses and stab his blade in the chest.

Sparks erupted and the hologram disappeared to be replaced by his droid, PROXY, who collapsed. "I am sorry, Master," he said. "I failed to kill you again."

He smiled a little. "Maybe next time, PROXY," he said helping the injured droid up.

"Yes, perhaps next time," the holodroid said. "I have a message for you too, Master."

He nodded and PROXY's face shimmered to reveal the hooded form of his Master, Xea.

"_My apprentice,_" the message began, "_You have new orders. Forget the mission to Felucia for now. I want you to travel to the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine. I have learned, from a reliable source, that there may be more than one Jedi on this planet. Keep an eye out, blend in, gather information but do not engage. Report what you discover to me as soon as you discover it._"

The holoimage disappeared to be replaced by PROXY's face and the holodroid rested its head on the durasteel wall of the meditation chamber. He, wondering why his Master wanted him to gather information rather than take out the Jedi who may or may not be on Tatooine, got to his feet. If anything would prove to his Master that he wasn't weak then it would be taken out two Jedi at the same time rather than one. However, he had his orders and he would follow them.

"I'll be back to fix that," he said to PROXY gesturing to the wound in the holodroid's chest. "For now, I have to tell our captain of the change in plans."

"Yes Master," PROXY said.

He stood up before making his way out of the meditation chamber and toward the cockpit where his captain, Juno Eclipse, was. Juno was the first pilot of the _Rogue Shadow_ who knew, at least partially, of his orders from his Master though she never mentioned it. She merely stated that she was ordered by Xea herself to drop him off wherever he needed to go and pick him up and not ask any questions.

He was still wary around her though but since PROXY was his only company for the longest time before he was sent on his first mission that was to be expected. Though wary of her, he didn't mind her company since she was a very capable pilot. From what he learned about her from PROXY, Juno graduated a year early from the Imperial Academy and served briefly as leader of a squadron of starfighters in Xea's fleet before she was chosen to be his pilot three months earlier.

Stepping into the cockpit, he looked toward the captain who was running her fingers across the console, headset resting around her neck as she focused on her task. She lifted her head upon hearing him enter the cockpit. Though she didn't say anything, he could feel her curiosity especially since he rarely entered the cockpit unless they were near their destination.

"We have new orders," he said. "Plot a course for Tatooine."

"Tatooine? May I ask why?" Juno said as she dropped the _Rogue Shadow_ out of hyperspace, retrieved the coordinates for their new destination from the navicomputer and jumped back into hyperspace.

He simply gazed at the mottled lanes of hyperspace. "It's a different type of mission from the ones I'm normally given," was all he said.

Thankfully, Juno said nothing about that. Instead, she said, "Our ship will stand out no matter which spaceport I land in but I know enough about Tatooine to know the residents aren't likely to question it. It's the Imperials I'm worried about."

He nodded; the Imperials would notice that the _Rogue Shadow_ was different from many of the other ships that landed because of its advancements. No one knew about the _Shadow_; everyone who helped with the _Shadow_'s construction had been killed to keep the ship a secret. As his mission was an information gathering mission, he knew he couldn't draw attention to himself. Blending in would be the easy part so long as he could get in without being noticed by the Imperials.

"Drop me off away from one of the spaceports then," he said. "I will go in on foot."

"That might be best."

The rest of the journey to Tatooine was done in silence.

* * *

_Darkness reached out fiery claws. He could see yellow eyes peering out of dark smoke that rose up to clog the air. He could feel the heat of the glare; the fury, the hatred, all mingled to where one cannot be distinguished from the other. The eyes simmered like the agonizingly hot surface of a sun._

_ The smoke grew thicker until he found it hard to breath. He saw forks of lightning tear through the darkness and a scream so filled with anguish that his heart constricted. He could see the prone form, the lightning cascading upon his lithe body, the pain and despair that glistened in his eyes._

_ Father, please!_

Anakin Skywalker sat up sharply, a gasp escaping his lips as shafts of moonlight drifted through the small opening in his room. The homestead was silent and Anakin found that he could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a turbohammer as the dream, however quick and fleeting it was, replayed itself in his mind.

It was no dream; it was a nightmare, one that has been haunting Anakin's mind for the past fifteen years. He had thought when he chose the Jedi over Palpatine, the nightmares associated with the future his son, or rather a future version of his son, had told him about would go away. Qui-Gon warned him that he would remember what the future version of his son told him whether he wanted to or not but he had hoped that, at least, the nightmares wouldn't continue to torment him.

Rolling onto his side, Anakin gazed across the room toward where his fifteen-year-old son was sleeping peacefully, sprawled on his stomach, arms flung in odd angles and gentle snores emitting from him as he slept. Gently, Anakin used the Force to reassure himself that he wasn't still dreaming.

Fifteen years had gone by and yet his decision and the repercussions of his decision were still on the forefronts of his mind. He had thought that choosing the Jedi over Palpatine would end everything; Palpatine would be defeated, Padmé wouldn't die in childbirth, Darth Vader would never come into existence. And yet, out of all three of the things Anakin wanted to happen when he refused to go to Palpatine's aid, only the latter two came about.

Palpatine was not defeated. He actually got the better of Mace Windu, defeated him and nearly killed him. Then he drove the Jedi Order to the edge of extinction with the execution of Order 66. The clone troopers that Anakin and the entire Order had fought side by side with during the Clone Wars had suddenly turned on them, on every single Jedi out there even the younglings and yet not against him. Anakin knew that was only because Palpatine still wanted him.

Anakin could still remember that day though he didn't like remembering it. It was one of the memories he didn't want to relive like he kept reliving the memory of seeing a future version of his son get electrocuted by Palpatine. And yet, he relived it; the massacre at the Jedi Temple as well as across the galaxy. Jedi getting killed left and right, causing such disturbances in the Force that felt like a physical blow to Anakin. He knew he wasn't the only one who felt that way; everyone who survived Order 66 likely felt the same way he did.

It still hurt even though it's been fifteen years. He could still remember feeling the lives of the innocent younglings he and Obi-Wan hadn't managed to get out of the Temple getting cut short by the clone troopers.

Anakin rested his head on his hand still gazing at Luke's sleeping form though the memory of his nightmare clung to his conscious. He stood up before walking across the room to where Luke was asleep. As the homestead wasn't that big, it was decided that Luke and Anakin would share a room. Neither of them minded; it gave them the privacy they needed so Anakin could train Luke as much as he could in the use of the Force.

Anakin's stepbrother, Owen Lars, refused to have any Jedi business in his home. However, Anakin had told him stepbrother that Luke needed to learn how to use the Force; the longer he remained untrained, the more in danger he was likely to be. Anakin wasn't sure if that was true but it did convince his stepbrother and he, reluctantly, agreed. He did say that Luke couldn't learn lightsaber combat though and, though that irked Anakin, he agreed. At least, he agreed to not train Luke in lightsaber combat around the homestead. That was usually when he and Luke would travel to Obi-Wan's hut beyond the Jundland Wastes to train.

Kneeling down beside Luke's bed, Anakin stretched out his organic hand and gently ran his fingers through his son's hair. Luke shifted onto his side but did not wake up. He was as deep a sleeper as Anakin was. Anakin was positive that the loudest sandstorm on Tatooine wouldn't be able to pull Luke from his sleep.

_It's a good thing you aren't that grouchy in the morning. You must get that from Padmé,_ Anakin thought gently brushing the back of his hand on his son's cheek. His son was his angel; his son was the reason why he was able to resist the darkness though he didn't know it.

Anakin gazed at the boy before he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips to his son's forehead. The boy didn't stir and Anakin stood up before making his way out of the room; he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

He walked out of the homestead before gazing up at the clear sky above his head. Stars winked gently against the black backdrop and the desert was cool. The wind was calm and gentle and the moon was a crescent in the sky. The suns wouldn't rise for another few hours but Anakin didn't mind; the tranquil night gave him the peace he needed to meditate. During his apprentice years, Anakin disliked meditation so much that his former master, Obi-Wan, had to sometimes drag him to meditate. Now, he only meditated whenever he had a bad nightmare that he couldn't get out of his mind through other means; recently, those nightmares either dealt with what a future version of his son told him or with his mother's death.

Anakin sighed softly gazing at the sky above.

_I want to be the first one to visit them all._

Anakin remembered when he uttered those words to Qui-Gon back when he first met him just before the Battle of Naboo. He smiled a little at his child-like determination; he never did get to visit all of the star systems n the galaxy but he did visit a lot of them. He had to wonder if he would ever get the chance to visit some of the worlds he loved with his son like Naboo.

Naboo. Anakin could still remember the happiest memory he had of Naboo; his and Padmé's wedding.

_I wonder how Padmé and Leia are doing,_ he thought. He hoped they were all right though a part of him knew that they were.

"Dad?"

Anakin opened his eyes before turning his head to find his son standing in the doorway of the homestead gazing at him with concern in his azure eyes. "What are you doing up, son?" he asked. "You were asleep when I left."

Luke walked over to join him before sitting down at his side. "I felt your fear," he admitted.

Anakin put an arm around his son's shoulders before drawing the short, lithe form of his son close to him. Resting his head on top of Luke's, he said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. What happened? Was it another nightmare?" Luke knew of Anakin's constant nightmares because sometimes they were intense enough that they got past Anakin's shields and Luke felt whatever Anakin was feeling even though he never saw what Anakin saw.

He nodded slowly. "It's all right though, son. Are you planning on going to Anchorhead tomorrow with Owen?" He asked changing the subject.

"Probably though Uncle Owen is only going to be buying a few things. I just want to get out of the homestead even if it's only for a little while."

Anakin smiled. "Can't say I blame you," he said.

Luke rested his head against Anakin's chest before gazing up at the stars. "How many star systems did you visit during the war, Dad?" he asked.

Anakin chuckled. "I lost count during the first three or so months," he admitted.

"What system do you remember the most then?" Luke asked.

Anakin smiled fondly in remembrance as the memory of his wedding came back into his mind. "Naboo," he said quietly, "I can still remember the day your mother and I got married. It was a small ceremony and yet it was memorable."

"I wish I could meet her."

"I know, Luke. Perhaps someday but right now, you're safer here."

Luke sighed. "Safe or not, I still can't stand this dustball of a planet," he muttered.

Anakin chuckled. "We definitely agree on that. I've never liked this planet even when I lived here though my mother—" He broke off as sadness surged through him but he pushed it away and said, "—she always had a way of making things better."

"I wish I had known her."

"So do I. She would have loved you, Luke." Anakin wiped a stray tear away and immediately pushed the memory of his mother's death, and the event that occurred right after, away from his mind. Luke knew of what happened; he had asked Owen what happened to his grandmother three years ago and Owen told him to ask Anakin. Though he was reluctant, Anakin didn't want to lie to his son so he told him the truth, the entire truth. He had expected his son to get upset with him, to hate him for committing such a heinous act, but the sheer compassion, love and forgiveness that Luke had projected—it was definitely not what Anakin was expecting.

Luke may have Anakin's looks, his recklessness, his love of mechanical things and flying but his compassion—Anakin wanted to say he got it entirely from Padmé but Obi-Wan pointed out that he was compassionate to a fault himself.

"I'm not surprised by how compassionate Luke is considering who his parents are. He got it from both of you, you know," Obi-Wan had said when Anakin told him of how Luke had accepted what happened after Shmi Skywalker's death.

"...coming with us?"

Anakin blinked before looking at Luke. "What?"

"I asked if you were coming with Uncle Owen and I to Anchorhead tomorrow, well later on today I should probably say."

He smiled at his son. "How much does Owen have to get, Luke?"

"Oh." Luke flushed when he realized there would be no room for three people to go.

"When you and Owen get back, I'll take you to Ben's place," Anakin offered.

Luke grinned. "Okay. Do you think I can begin constructing my own lightsaber?"

Anakin chuckled before standing up and Luke stood up as well. "I'll ask Ben though I think you're ready. Come on, Luke. Let's get inside. Maybe we can surprise Beru by cooking breakfast for everyone."

"I should probably do the cooking. Aunt Beru's been teaching me and you nearly burned down her kitchen the last time you tried to cook."

Anakin scowled but Luke just chuckled as they reentered the homestead.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that is the first chapter of **_**Dawn of the Rebellion.**_** As I said at the beginning, this is the sequel to **_**Under the Shroud of Shadows**_**, which has a prequel oneshot entitled **_**Omen of the Future.**_

**Darth: and this is an AU version of **_**The Force Unleashed**_** set in Blaze's **_**An Era of Twilight**_** universe**

**Blaze: right now, the stories set in my **_**An Era of Twilight **_**universe are, in order, **_**Omen of the Future**_** and**_** Under the Shroud of Shadows.**_

**Darth: this is also the first full-fledged novel in this universe, it will have chapter titles and, like she mentioned at the beginning, Starkiller is two years older than Luke in this story**

**Blaze: I had to make it that way because I didn't want it to take place too close to **_**A New Hope**_** and I didn't want Starkiller to be too close to Luke's age**

**Darth: only Starkiller's age is different. Hopefully, Blaze hasn't made him too OOC**

**Darth: and Blaze disappeared again**

**Blaze: (at Dairy Queen) sorry, I got hungry**

**Darth: obviously. Another thing, Blaze hopes that you like this beginning but the action won't begin for a couple more chapters and she will not be able to update because she will be losing internet access for as much as two weeks. If she can get to a library then she might be able to update sooner. This goes for ALL of the stories she is working on.**

**Blaze: so please review. They are GREATLY appreciated.**


	2. A Chance Encounter

**Thank you to Chocolate369 and Trickymander for reviewing the first chapter. You two are great and here is chapter 2. I hope that you like it. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.**

**A Chance Encounter**

The _Rogue Shadow _glided out hyperspace and the dusty orange planet of Tatooine rose up in front of them. Orbiting around two suns, the desert planet was home to the vilest of criminals from the hutts to bounty hunters to smugglers. It was a planet that someone who didn't want to be found could get lost. For that reason, it was an ideal place for a Jedi to hide.

Captain Juno Eclipse had to admit that she wouldn't want to hide out on a desert planet. However, considering they were fugitives on the run from the Empire, the Jedi seemed determined to hide in any place so long as it provided them with a chance to avoid detection. At least, that was the way it was with the second of her companion's—codenamed Starkiller—target; a Jedi Master by the name of Kazadus Paratus who was found on the junk world of Raxus Prime. However, the first of Starkiller's targets was Rahm Kota, a Jedi Master who refused to lead the clone troopers into battle during the Clone Wars thus escaping execution and then proceeded to lead guerilla attacks against the Empire.

That being said, Juno wondered what Jedi would hide out on Tatooine if that was why they were even there. _And why did Starkiller say the mission isn't like the ones he's normally given?_ She wondered silently. She knew better than to ask Starkiller though; he wasn't likely going to answer her even if she did ask.

"Tell your Master that we're coming up on Tatooine," she told PROXY who was in the cockpit with her.

The holodroid nodded before walking out of the cockpit while Juno turned her gaze to the planet as it steadily grew larger. She decided that it would be better if she brought the _Shadow_ down in a location that would prevent it from being seen by Imperial authorities like in the Dune Sea. Scanning the surface of Tatooine on her console for a suitable landing spot, she found one about three kilometers away from the settlement known as Anchorhead.

_It's not a spaceport but three kilometers should be enough to prevent anyone from seeing the Rogue Shadow, _she thought.

Starkiller made his way into the cockpit, brown eyes narrowed as he observed the planet. Juno guided the _Shadow_ into the planet's atmosphere before looking at him. "I'm going to drop you off about three kilometers away from a settlement known as Anchorhead in the Dune Sea. The dunes should hide the ship temporarily."

Starkiller nodded. "Unless I tell you otherwise, that's where you'll pick me up too," he said. "Best to make sure the ship stays out of plain sight."

Juno nodded. "Do we know where we supposed to look for?"

"I only know that it's possible there are two Jedi on the planet," Starkiller said. "I just have to confirm whether there are two Jedi on the planet or not."

"Confirm? Is that why you said this mission wasn't like the ones you're normally given?"

The young man nodded slowly eyes scanning the desert-planet as Juno guided the ship toward the Dune Sea close to where the settlement of Anchorhead was placed. Then, he turned around and left the cockpit heading toward the boarding ramp as Juno lowered the ship until it was hovering between two dunes.

"_Take off. I'll contact you when I'm ready to leave,_" Starkiller's voice drifted over Juno's headset.  
"Copy that." Juno immediately guided the ship away from the Dune Sea.

She didn't know how long Starkiller was going to be and since the mission wasn't like the mission to Nar Shaddaa and Raxus Prime, she knew that Starkiller wouldn't need that quick a getaway. So she decided to go back into orbit and cloak the ship until she was contacted by Starkiller.

That left her with some time to herself. She only found something to do during the last couple of missions because she was helping Starkiller by hacking into the computer systems and giving Starkiller directions. This time, however, she had nothing to do.

_I hope this mission doesn't take too long,_ she thought.

* * *

"What are you planning on doing while Uncle Owen and I are gone?" Luke Skywalker asked.

He and his father were seated at the table with his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen eating breakfast. Morning dawned as sunny as ever on the desert-planet of Tatooine and the weather was just like it was every day; hot and dry. It was one of the things Luke disliked most about Tatooine and he knew his father shared his sentiment in that regard.

Anakin shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "There isn't much to do around here. I've already fixed everything in the house. Maybe, I'll just go meditate."

"You? Meditate? Willingly?" Luke echoed surprise and amusement glistening in his eyes. He knew that his father disliked meditating and only ever did it if he had a bad nightmare and couldn't get rid of it through other means like sparring or tinkering.

Anakin chuckled. "Yeah, that's pretty much a last resort for me. I'll find something to do. Besides, you won't be gone that long."

"Probably not," Luke said. "So are we still going to Uncle Ben's when I get back?"

"Of course. Drop in on the old man and see if we can surprise him," Anakin said with a grin.

"You haven't been able to surprise him yet, Dad."

"There's a first time for everything."

Owen's eyes were narrowed. "I don't like this," he said. "I know why you're going to the old hermit's house but I still don't like it. Why must Luke learn this?"

Anakin turned his gaze to his stepbrother. "Luke wants to be a Jedi, Owen, and part of being a Jedi is learning lightsaber combat. I'm not denying him that."

Owen sighed. "Well, since you are his father, I have no say in this matter. I still wish you'd rethink this, Luke." He turned his gaze to Luke as he said that.

Luke shook his head. "I want to be a Jedi like my father."

"You definitely have a lot of your father in you, Luke," Beru said gently.

Luke smiled before he stood up as Owen stood up. "So we're going now?" he asked.

Owen nodded. "The sooner we get there, the better," he said.

"All right. Bye Dad, I'll see you when I get back."

"Bye son, be careful and stay close to your uncle."

Luke rolled his eyes; his father was constantly reminding him to be careful. While he appreciated the concern, it irritated him at times. "I'll be fine, Dad."

He followed Owen as his uncle walked out of the homestead. The two of them made their way toward the landspeeder and Luke dashed the remaining few feet before climbing into the pilot's seat. "I'm flying," he said.

Owen folded his arms across his chest. "Fine," he muttered seeing no point in arguing considering Luke was already settled and starting the engines. He climbed into the passenger's seat and Luke guided the landspeeder away from the homestead.

They flew in silence across the Dune Sea toward Anchorhead. The settlement was small and yet it was the closest one to the homestead. Luke knew that if his uncle didn't find what he needed in Anchorhead then they would have to travel to Mos Eisley and Luke didn't know whether they would do that today or if they would go another day.

"Why do you want to be a Jedi?" Owen asked looking at Luke as he guided the speeder toward the entrance to Anchorhead. "I don't think it's because you want to be like your father."

Luke was silent. "That's part of the reason, Uncle," he said. "I've heard a lot about how much the Jedi helped people before they were driven to near extinction and I just like the idea of being able to help others."

"You are certainly compassionate. I remember meeting your mother before she and your father got married," Owen commented. "She was compassionate too and I think you got it from her. We're here."

Luke brought the landspeeder to a stop outside one of the shops that lined Anchorhead's sandy streets before he climbed out of it.

"Hey Luke!"

Luke turned and smiled when he recognized the tall, black-haired boy that was his closest friend on Tatooine. "Biggs! Uncle Owen—"

Owen smiled a little. "Go ahead, Luke. Just be back here before noon. I should be done by then."

"All right, Uncle." Luke jogged over to join his friend.

"How's it going with you, Luke?" Biggs asked smiling.

"It's going good. What about you? Did you get accepted into the Imperial Academy?" Biggs, being three years older than Luke, had decided to apply to the Imperial Academy for the simple reason of it being the chance to get off Tatooine. Luke had to admit he would have liked to leave Tatooine but he didn't want to attend the academy and he didn't want to leave his father or his family behind.

"I got accepted," Biggs said. "I'm not leaving for another few months though so I'll still be around to get you out of trouble."

Luke chuckled. "Uncle Owen says I that from my dad."

"Based on all of your dad's stories, I can certainly see that. So how much trouble did you get into for sneaking out and flying through Beggar's Canyon against Fixer?"

Luke smirked. "None with my dad but he and Uncle Owen got into a fight over whether I should be punished or not. My uncle was leaning towards yes but he didn't have any say and my dad didn't think what happened was bad enough for me to be punished."

Biggs chuckled. "Your dad is amazing," he said.

"He only said that it would be hypocritical of him to punish me for flying when he's done his fair share of flying antics ten times _worse_ than what I did."

Biggs nodded. "I remember his stories from the wars. How long are you going to be in Anchorhead?"

"Until Uncle Owen gets the parts that he needs. We might have to head to Mos Eisley if he doesn't find what he needs here. Until he's done though, I'm free."

"Well, I was just going to meet with Camie and Fixer. Want to come with?"

Luke hesitated; he didn't really care for Camie or Fixer. They never liked him and the only reason Luke spent time with them was because they were Biggs's friends and Biggs was his friend. He would have liked to end up being their friend but they never gave him the chance. Nevertheless, it would give him something to do while he was waiting for his uncle.

"All right, I'll go with you," he said.

* * *

Starkiller made his way through the settlement of Anchorhead, keeping his ears open but also blending in with the crowd. He had decided to change his clothing so that he could better blend in with the people wandering Anchorhead's sandy streets. His lightsaber was still tucked away just in case though he doubted he would be using it; it was just an information gathering mission after all.

_Tatooine, it is definitely a place no one would think twice about so it makes sense a Jedi would hide here. But two?_ He didn't know why two Jedi would hide in the same place and he still didn't know of who those Jedi were. He tried asking around, hinting subtly or listening in on conversations that mentioned something that was suspicious. It was still not enough though because he still couldn't find any evidence that there were Jedi on Tatooine.

The only thing that kept him from giving up was that his Master wouldn't tolerate failure. If she felt there were two Jedi on Tatooine then it was his duty to find out who those two Jedi were. He also had to wonder if the reliable source who gave this information to his Master really was reliable.

Wandering, Starkiller could see a group of teenagers ranging from his age to a few years younger talking and laughing nearby. He couldn't hear what was being said but curiosity drew him when he heard a mention of the Clone Wars. Though everyone knew about the Clone Wars, it was still the best lead that Starkiller had considering the fact that the Jedi participated in the wars from the very beginning.

It was a long shot but it was all Starkiller had to go on.

He slipped closer making it seem as though he was just walking past but he kept his ears open and stretched out with the Force to better enhance his hearing so that he didn't have to get to close. However, when he did that, he was astounded by the sheer brilliance of the Force presence of one of the teenagers so astounded that his steps faltered.

Regaining his balance, Starkiller narrowed his eyes. One of the four teenagers had a brilliant Force presence; one stronger than any Starkiller's ever felt before. _Who is this person?_ He wondered silently.

"You certainly spin tall tales, wormie," the girl in the group said curling her upper lip in a sneer.

"You think I'm lying?" the youngest of the group that the girl was talking to said incredulously. "My dad really did fight in the clone wars. He is one of the best pilots ever."

"If you would tell us who your dad is then we might believe you," one of the boys said with a sneer.

The youngest of the group scowled. "I've already told you, Dad doesn't want everyone on Tatooine to know who he is."

"You're lying. I doubt your dad is as great as you think he is," the girl said.

"Will you two leave Luke alone?" the black-haired boy said shaking his head. "If his dad doesn't want people to know who he is then he doesn't want them to know who he is. I've met his dad and Luke's telling the truth. Are you going to call me a liar, Camie?"

"You won't tell us who he is either, Biggs," the boy said. "So how do we know you've even met him?"

"I swear you two are the biggest bantha-brains on all of Tatooine," the black-haired boy, Biggs, said with a sigh before he looked at the youngest of the group, Luke. "I can understand why your dad doesn't want everyone to know about him. He was pretty famous during the war at least from what I learned."

"If he really was famous then who is he?" asked the boy.

"Just leave it, Fixer," Biggs said. "Why don't we go get something to eat? Are you coming with, Luke?'

Luke shook his head. "It's almost noon. I have to meet my uncle. I'll see you later." He walked away and Starkiller watched him go. He could now feel that the Force presence he had felt earlier was coming from him.

_And his father was famous during the war?_ He thought recalling Biggs's words. There were only a few Jedi who were famous during the Clone Wars and yet Starkiller has never heard of any of them having children. He realized that if he could figure out who Luke's father was then he might discover the identity of one of the Jedi his Master was convinced was on Tatooine especially considering how powerful Luke's Force presence was.

Again, it was a long shot but it was all Starkiller had to go on.

_Now how to get Luke to reveal who his father is,_ Starkiller thought.

"_Starkiller, are you there?_" Juno's voice sounded over the comlink.

"What is it, Juno?" Starkiller asked quietly as he walked after Luke.

"_PROXY just received a message from Lady Xea._"

"Is it important?"

"_No, Master,_" PROXY's voice said, "_she only told me to remind you that you are not to engage when you find the Jedi and that she still wants you to complete the mission on Felucia soon. She said that you have two days. If you don't then you are to continue with your mission to Felucia after two days._"

Starkiller exhaled exasperatedly. He hated it when his Master put time limits on his missions; she did the same thing with his mission to kill General Rahm Kota. Thank the Force he had been able to complete that mission within the allotted time. However, unless he could figure out a way to talk to Luke, who was his only lead, then he might not be able to complete his mission in two days time.

And he doubted the straightforward approach would work but it was the only plan he could think of.

He had been about to respond to PROXY's words when suddenly someone cannoned into him sending them both flying to the ground and nearly knocking a few pedestrians roaming Anchorhead's street to the ground. Said pedestrians glared at the two of them but went about their business while Starkiller and the person who ran into him untangled themselves.

"Sorry," Starkiller recognized Luke's voice almost immediately. "I didn't see you."

"It's fine, I didn't see you either," Starkiller said looking at the boy whose brilliant Force presence was a bit too bright for him and made him a little uncomfortable; he didn't let on that he was feeling that way though.

Luke was short, slender and with sandy blonde hair dressed the way most moisture farmers dressed while on Tatooine. He got to his feet before holding out a hand and Starkiller accepted the hand. Getting on the boy's good side was probably the best way to get information out of him.

"_What's going on? There was a burst of static,_" Juno's voice said.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Luke asked.

"I'm fine," Starkiller assured the boy. "What's got you in such a hurry?"

"My uncle's not done yet so I was going to join my friends for lunch," the boy said. "You're new to Anchorhead, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"I've been to Anchorhead several times and I know practically everyone here by face though not by name and you don't look familiar."

"I just got here," Starkiller said. He was silent for a long moment examining the boy before said, "So I heard your father fought in the Clone Wars?"

"He did. My friends won't believe me though," Luke said.

"Why not?"

"It's because I won' tell them who my father is. I don't get why they keep pressuring me about it."

"If you don't want to tell them then you shouldn't have to," Starkiller said. "But is it because your dad's famous that you don't want them to know?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Common sense," said Starkiller.

"Oh, that makes sense actually," said Luke. "But yes he is and he doesn't want a lot of people knowing about him."

"Was he a pilot?"

"One of the best. He flew in a lot of the battles during the war. I'd better get going. It was nice talking to you um—"

"Just call me Starkiller," Starkiller said.

"All right, Starkiller." Luke ran around Starkiller and headed off toward the area where he had last seen his friends. Starkiller watched him go before he began walking again and spoke softly.

"Juno?" he said.

"_Yes?_" Juno asked.

"I want you to look up everyone who fought in the Clone Wars. Narrow down the list by only accessing Jedi who were famous, male and human."

"_It'll take some time._"

"I'm heading back now. Meet me at the same spot where you dropped me off."

"_On our way._ _Juno out._"

Starkiller made his way out of Anchorhead and toward the Dune Sea where Juno had dropped him off thinking about what he had learned and if it would be enough.

* * *

Juno scrolled through the list of the Jedi who participated in the Clone Wars who had been human and had been famous. Surprisingly, the list wasn't as long as Juno thought it would be but then many of the Jedi during the Clone Wars had only worked behind the scenes from what she's read so far. Hacking into the Imperial records without leaving a trace wasn't as hard as Juno thought it would be but she knew better than to remain there for too long so she had copied down the names and had PROXY access the information about each Jedi himself after leaving the system.

They had narrowed down the list to only a few when Starkiller rejoined them. He stepped into the cockpit before looking at Juno. "Anything?"

"It took a bit of digging," Juno said, "because all information on the Jedi are classified or destroyed but I managed to create a list." She held out the datapad and Starkiller took it before looking at it eyes narrowed as he scanned the list.

"So what is this about?" Juno asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I ran into a boy who said he is the son of someone who was fought in, and was famous during, the Clone Wars. He has a powerful Force presence and it's possible that he's the son of a Jedi."

"I thought Jedi weren't allowed to have kids," Juno said.

"I thought so too. PROXY, bring up the image of each of the Jedi on this list." Starkiller showed the list and the holodroid took one look at it before nodding.

The holodroid began to change its appearance to match who the Jedi on the list looked like. He went through Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi but, when he took on the image of Anakin Skywalker, Starkiller told him to stop.

"That's him," he said.

"How can you be sure?" Juno asked.

"The kid looks like a younger and shorter version. Same hair, same eyes. PROXY, what information do you have on Skywalker?"

PROXY's voice spoke in Skywalker's baritone voice. "Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi who fought during the Clone Wars. He began his life on Tatooine but joined the Jedi when he was nine, which is considered too old for training. He was apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi and had an apprentice during the wars named Ahsoka Tano. He was known as the Hero With No Fear during the wars and he and Obi-Wan Kenobi were a legendary team and they rarely were separated during the wars. He disappeared when the Republic fell and no one has heard from him since."

"Any mention of children?" Starkiller asked.

"None, Master," PROXY said reverting back to his original form.

Starkiller looked thoughtful.

"You think this kid is Skywalker's, don't you, Master?" PROXY asked.

"It would make sense. Luke looks like a shorter, younger version of Skywalker," Starkiller said. "And if Luke's father really is Anakin Skywalker then that means I know the identity of the two Jedi my Master said were on Tatooine."

"The two?" Juno was confused.

"PROXY said that Skywalker and Kenobi were rarely separated during the wars. I think that may still hold true now. If Skywalker is here then there is a chance that Kenobi is here as well. Come, PROXY, let's go to my meditation chamber so that you can contact my Master." The two of them left.

Juno watched them go before she lifted her headset on and hacked into the system that would allow her to see and hear what was going on in the meditation chamber. She had learned to do that during the mission to Nar Shaddaa and her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Once she could see and hear what was going on, she sat back and listened and watched.

Starkiller made his way deeper into the meditation chamber before turning around as PROXY's image changed to reveal Darth Xea's. Starkiller knelt down before lowering his head as Xea looked at him.

"_What have you learned?_" she asked.

"I have reason to believe that the two Jedi here on Tatooine are Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi," Starkiller said.

Xea looked surprised. "_Are you sure?_"

"Not entirely but, based on the clues I've discovered, that is the conclusion I've come to." Juno noticed, with some surprise, that Starkiller made no mention of Skywalker's son.

"_I see. This is good news, good news indeed._" There was positive glee in Xea's voice. "_You have done well, apprentice. Go now and continue your mission to Felucia._"

"Yes Master. What of the two Jedi?"

"_I shall deal with them personally._" Then PROXY reverted back to his original form while Juno sat back wondering what Xea meant by she would deal with the two Jedi personally.

* * *

Darth Xea strode along the command walkway of the bridge of the_ Avenger _still high on triumph. She now knew where the dreaded Jedi she has been hunting since she began Palpatine's apprentice was located. She knew where Skywalker was and she now had the chance to prove to Palpatine that Skywalker was nothing compared to her.

_It's time for me to show him that I am worthy to be his apprentice,_ she thought as she looked at the admiral in charge of the _Avenger, _Admiral Lycas. "Admiral, set course for Tatooine," she ordered.

"Yes my Lady but Emperor Palpatine commands you to contact him," Lycas said saluting.

Xea scowled but nodded and left the bridge before heading to the communications chamber. Once on the transmission grid, she knelt down as Emperor Palpatine's larger than life holoprojection appeared before her. "What is thy bidding, my master?" she asked.

"_Lady Xea, I want you to return to Coruscant,_" Palpatine said.

"Why, Master?"

Palpatine raised his eyebrows. "_Are you questioning my orders? Or do you have a prior engagement that I should know about?_"

Xea hesitated then decided to tell Palpatine. "I've found Skywalker, my Master," she said. "I wish to prove to you that I am more worthy to be your apprentice than he is, that Skywalker is nothing compared to me."

"_And so you are going to confront him,_" Palpatine said matter-of-factly. "_I do not expect you to last long against Skywalker, Lady Xea. I will let you do this but if you get close to losing, pull back. I do not wish to break in another apprentice because my current one got herself killed._"

Xea scowled. "I will defeat him, my Master."

"_That remains to be seen, Lady Xea, and I highly doubt you will. Despite what you say, you are not my first choice for an apprentice, you are not Skywalker. Contact me whether you defeat Skywalker or not and then return to Coruscant._"

"Yes my Master." _I'll show you. I'm better than Skywalker ever was,_ Xea thought angrily as Palpatine's image disappeared. She stood up and stalked out of the chamber contacting Lycas with her comlink and ordering him to make the jump to hyperspace.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: wow, Xea certainly has some…issues**

**Darth: yeah she does**

**Anakin: yup (pulls out turbolaser)**

**Palpypie: hi**

**Anakin: (blasts Palpypie with turbolaser and hands it back to Mace)**

**Mace: so what's where that went**

**Obi-Wan: Anakin, did you steal Mace's turbolaser again?**

**Anakin: no?**

**Mace: what do you mean **_**again**_**?**

**Anakin: nothing (takes off in Mace's Mustang)**

**Mace: blast it, that's mine (chases after Anakin)**

**Darth: (cruising around in Mace's Other Mustang) ha, he forgot he had this**

**Blaze: (chuckles) the next chapter will come out as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon and reviews, as always, are much appreciated**


End file.
